“This is not just about ghost stories,” said our tour guide and author/historian/teacher/ghost whisperer Doreen Uhas-Sauer. “This is a social history of
Town Street.”

Doreen has given historic tours of Columbus for the past 35
years. She knows everything. Our
all-ages group of about 30 met at the Topiary Park. Armed with lanterns and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, we walked half a block east and more than a
century back in time, when the Town-Franklin area was the city’s first real suburb.

I
was a member of Kappa at Washington and Lee. Naturally, this made
me feel twice as likely to see a ghost than anyone else on the tour. We
wandered through the parlor into an ornate sitting room with
dramatic Victorian furnishings and an 1887 Weber piano. Kappa’s archivist and
curator Kylie Smith told colorful tales about the spirits who loom at the property. The first
was David Gray.

I saw him in
concert.

Ok,
it was a different David Gray. BUT STILL. I was practically guaranteed to see a
ghost at this point. We learned about the art of bird taxidermy, which young women practiced back then instead of pinning cat photos on Pinterest or Instagramming their meatloaf. They also created wreaths out of their hair.
Kind of makes my no-sew fleece blankets seem lame.

We paused to admire a portrait of Celinda Hatton, who taught
art at Columbus School for Girls. She died in the home’s morning room. Her
favorite color was pink, and many have reported visions of a “Pink Lady” floating through the hallways.

I went to CSG! The coincidences, however far-fetched, were becoming overwhelming. Bring
it on, Pinkie.

Next at the Kelton House, we learned of haunted dolls and tragic accidents. We tiptoed through the alley past a haunted
house to the Columbus Performing Arts Center (formerly Players Theatre), where Doreen told us about mischievous 1902 Halloween rituals involving stolen corn and door-stopping cabbage.

I have dolls. I eat corn. This is crazy. Show me the ghost!

Alas, I didn’t see any apparitions, but I went home very informed and enjoyably spooked. If you’d like to try engaging with the afterlife, Columbus Landmarks still has a few ghost tours between now and November 2.

October 07, 2013

I recently launched Gluten-Free Ohio, a website and resource geared toward Ohioans following the gluten-free lifestyle. The site will offer free recipes, tips, and information for people who have eliminated or reduced gluten from their diets. Most of the featured breakfast, entrée, snack, dessert, and side dish recipes will contain natural, minimally processed ingredients and no refined sugars.

Thunderballs

Kick-Ass Cornbread

I became gluten-free in August of 2013, after being diagnosed with gluten sensitivity. The gluten-free movement is gaining a lot of attention. Nearly 18 million Americans are believed to have gluten sensitivities1. An estimated 3 million Americans have celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder in the digestive system) but 97% of those who have it aren’t diagnosed2. Thirty percent of adults find gluten-free food appealing3, and the gluten-free category is expected to reach $6.6 billion by 20174.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Chicken Avocado Smash

After becoming gluten-free, I was afraid that I’d never enjoy food again. I’m now cooking the best meals of my life and have really evolved in the kitchen. It’s an adventure.

Maple Turkey Breakfast Sausage

Letil & Chard Ragout

I decided to launch Gluten-Free Ohio after being really inspired by gluten-free cookbooks, products, and networks. I hope to expand the site to include local contributing writers and feature stories. Anyone who is interested in contributing to Gluten-Free Ohio should email info@glutenfreeohio.com.

September 30, 2013

I don’t know much about comics, but I enjoy reading them and am inspired by the local creators who work hard to build a strong scene. When I heard
there was a panel called “A Voltron That Has Yet to Assemble: The Columbus
Comics Scene Past, Present, and Future” at CCAD’s Mix comics symposium, I had
to attend.

Spurgeon, the lone panelist not living in Ohio, offered a refreshing perspective.

“Columbus has all of the earmarks of a classic emerging
comics scene,” he said. “It was always this terrifying weird city that people
talked about but no one knew about, sort of like the South Carolina of cities.”

He referenced our nationally known comic shops and matter-of-fact cosmopolitanism (Ha! He knows us.) Thanks to our large volume of students and institutional support, he thinks Columbus is a “potential
juggernaut” in the comics world.

“The Midwest has real audiences of arts enthusiasts,” he said. “And it’s actually kind of a nice place to live.”

Spurgeon established himself in Seattle,
where he encountered “a mix of angry old people and angry young people.” He name-dropped a
bunch of people he worked with that I’d never heard of. And Gary Larson1.

“Do Columbus comics feel a close connection with one
another?” Spurgeon asked. Moore responded that most of them feel a real sense of community. They frequently hang out and share meals together.

“One thing that we all have in common is music as a topic,”
Moore said. “A lot of local comics are about musicians.”

Eppstein, who actually molded his business plan after those
of local indie bands, aims to publish a monthly cartoon newspaper.

“Columbus is one of the best cross-sections of American
culture,” he said. “If you can come here and build an audience, that
audience will follow you to other cities.”

When the OSU Cartoon Museum reopens in November, Robb hopes to better serve local comic creators. She’d
also like to start a graphic novel book club. In her eyes, when it comes to the future of Columbus comics, “the sky is the limit.”

1 Okay. I vowed not to be That Girl who ran up to him
afterward, babbling about how I wrote my college entrance essay about Larson and that two huge compendiums of Larson’s work live in my kitchen. But I thought about it.

September 23, 2013

They say in order to truly observe something, you must use
as many of your senses as possible. When entering the full-size Lustron home
inside of the Ohio History Center, I felt like Marty McFly reemerging in the 1955 version of Hill Valley. I listened to the vintage TV set barking in the living room and ran my fingers
along the smooth steel walls, where pictures were hung with magnets (not
nails). I opened cupboards and sat down at the dinner table. I held a brush from the master bedroom vanity table and played with toys in the
children’s room. Other than the iPhone in my pocket, there were no
indicators of 2013. Ten dollars (nine for AAA members) really isn’t much to pay
for a chance to go back in time.

The Lustron installation is part of 1950’s: Building
the American Dream, which explores 50’s life as told through a Central
Ohio family. In addition to offering the thrill of time travel, the exhibit
uncovers the fascinating era of prefabricated porcelain-enameled
steel homes.

During the post-World War II housing boom, the Columbus-based
Lustron Corporation was expected to be the world’s biggest churner outer of
homes-in-a-box. The million-square-foot production plant was located on East 5th Avenue near the
airport. With six miles of conveyor belts, it used more electricity than the whole city. Before Lustron, the site manufactured World War II fighter planes for the Navy. Now it’s a shipping hub for DSW.

More than 20,000 orders for Lustron homes were placed,
but only 2,500 were built before the company declared bankruptcy in 1950. The
2002 documentary film Lustron: The House America’s Been Waiting For explores
Lustron’s passionate but brief dance with success. It’s estimated that 1,500 Lustron homes still survive in the
United States, 200 of which are in Ohio.

The Ohio History Center will host 1950’s Family Weekends
with special hands-on activities and programs related to the exhibit on September
28-29, October 26-27, November 23-24, and December 28-29. Get your flux capacitors ready.

“As we look into the uncertainty of a new century, these two great 20th century works for string sextet show how connected we are to the past,” said Zoe Johnstone, co-founder of the Johnstone Fund for New Music.

“The
Garden Theater was built in 1920 specifically for live music performance,”
said Short North Stage board president Peter Yockel. “These concerts help bring
the theater back to its original purpose.”

The series continues in 2014 with free concerts on February 19 and June 4.

August 29, 2013

Nothing on this earth rivals Ohio sweet corn. If you’re
lucky enough to find your hands on a cob in late August, you devour. You devour
and give thanks. The 67th annual Millersport Sweet Corn Festival, which kicked off last night, is really the best way to
enjoy this final symphony of summer. Presented by the Millersport Lions Club,
the four-day fest offers amusement rides, gaming
booths, concessions (like Taco in a
Bag and Chicken on a Stick), pageants, tractor pulls, corn eating
contests, country crafts, bingo, and an outhouse race.

The main event, of course, is corn on the cob. Thousands of crisp and savory cobs adorned with sinful amounts of butter and salt.
To enjoy them, you don’t sit down. You stand at one of the long communal tables
munching and dribbling to your heart’s content. Where’s your bucket list?

All proceeds from the festival benefit more than 80
nonprofit organizations in eight Ohio counties. Click here for photos of last night’s parade.

Friday,
September 20: 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. in Pearl AlleyNina West will emcee the kickoff
celebration, which includes live music by Forest & the Evergreens and Tin
Armor, food trucks, and craft vendors.

Fashion: Local fashion designers will host a collaborative
fashion show and T-shirt Remodel workshops.

Records and Comic Books: An array of
vinyl from local record stores and works from local comic book writers and artists will be
available.

Chalk Art: As a preview to Chalk the Block at Easton, local artists
will create chalk art alongside the festivities.

Sunday,
September 22: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Pearl Alley

The Hills Market and Due Amici will host
Brunch and Bloody Marys, followed by urban bobsled cart racing and live
acoustic music.

“Expanding this festival to three days is beyond thrilling,” said
Independents’ Day captain Alexis Perrone. “Each day was thoughtfully crafted so that people can experience
the best of what independent outlets in Columbus have to offer.”

August 01, 2013

Zanesville
is a special place. It has vast history, heartland charisma, and a deep sense of community.
In the six years I’ve been visiting my husband’s hometown, I’ve felt the white-hot hum of a cultural revolution. The area once known as “Clay City” and “Pottery Capital of the World” is now drawing attention for its burgeoning art scene. Passionate and tireless downtown artists have been opening their hearts and their studios on the first Friday night of each
month in an effort to jolt the creative pulse of the city.

“Our
goal is to share unique art with people in Zanesville and expose them to new concepts,” Carrie said. “Everyone in our space loves sharing ideas and
creating art together.”

Carrie hosts monthly art classes at her studio. She quit her job in February to pursue her dream of being a full-time artist.

“I always encourage people to follow their dreams and go after what they want, so I better be willing to put myself out there and lead by example,” she said. “Art is a way to escape everyday life when needed. It can make a difference, and it’s my objective to show you how.”

The
collective, which includes its three founders and eight other artists,
specializes in interactive art, community projects, and installation art. It
teaches emerging artists how to organize shows and hang pieces. It also knows
how to generate some (healthy) controversy. More than 500 people attended its tasteful yet slightly daring Erotic Show last winter.

Tomorrow evening from 5:00 to 8:00, the collective will host a reception to showcase the work of Jessica Bradley, as well as guest artists including Justine Murasky, Holly Murphy, Dede Parker,
Jim Parker, Zane Prindle, Jason Smith, Erica Tabet, and Joel Weston. All ages are welcome, and guests are invited to pick up a brush and contribute to the community tree mural.

The
fifth annual Y-Bridge Arts Festival also takes place in Zanesville this weekend,
with more than 70 visual and performing artists.

“I’d like Zanesville to be an art destination,”
said Carrie. “I’d love to see art on every corner.”

Photos of artwork in various studios at the Masonic Temple during July’s First Friday Art Walk.

June 18, 2013

Until yesterday, I thought that magical forests existed only in
fairytales. Then I discovered Inniswood Metro Gardens, whose lavish and
playful world has made me a believer of supernatural nature.

Part of Columbus Metro Parks, Inniswood serves up 123 acres
of horticultural heaven. It belonged to sisters Grace
and Mary Innis, who donated the Westerville estate to the city in 1972. Streams, woodlands,
wildflowers, wildlife, waterfalls, and 2,000 plant species burst through the
grounds like a giant rooted fireworks display. More than 300 members and
volunteers help keep the area in optimal condition.

Among Inniswood’s most mystical nooks are the Rose Garden,
Woodland Rock Garden, Herb Garden, Fern Garden, Circle Garden, and Conifer
Garden. Six walking trails zigzag the premises, with names like Chipmunk
Chatter Trail and Frog Talk Walk. The Sisters’ Garden is a children’s garden
with a story maze depicting the Native American tale Earth on
Turtle’s Back.

Inniswood is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to dark. In an effort
to connect people with nature, it offers nature education programs, where you
can learn about everything from bluebirds and dragonflies to drying flowers and
growing micro greens. It also hosts special events including concerts, yoga
classes, and tai chi sessions.

If you’re seeking a place to hide out, rest up, and rekindle
some childlike wonder, this is it.

These free movie nights are held on a 30-foot screen at the park’s softball diamond. Each film starts atsundown and is preceded by costume and trivia contests with prizes from local
businesses. Back to the Future will be emceed by Tim Fulton, and Nina West will emcee Mean Girls and Despicable Me.

June 10, 2013

I recently planted my first garden. To me, the world of
greenthumbery is a thrilling, endless place of hope and contemplation. I feel so giddy thinking about it that I have to run up and down the stairs to
burn energy. It wasn’t always like this. I used to wilt plants just by looking
at them, and it baffled me how people wasted their Sundays (and hard earned
paychecks) in yards and nursery stores. I’m now officially one of those people.
I constantly check out other people’s yards and ask for pointers. I borrow
gardening books from the library and have resolved to save my pennies for
flowerpots. It’s a lot of work, but nothing is as purely peaceful as a garden.

June 03, 2013

Until recently, I didn’t believe it was possible to hold a
letter that George Washington wrote in 1788. Or flip through a 15th-century medieval manuscript. I definitely didn’t think I could do so less than a mile from home. But thanks to a friend, I discovered an
endless world of history and possibility at the State Library of Ohio.

The State Library was founded in Columbus in 1817 and provides a dizzying
amount of free services for Ohio residents, libraries, and state employees. Located in the historic Jeffrey Manufacturing Building in Italian Village, it offers a statewide resource sharing service to more than 500 libraries. Its catalog contains more than 800,000 items.

“We can impact just about everyone in Ohio,” said Marsha
McDevitt-Stredney, the State Library’s Director of Marketing and
Communications.

The State Library is the
only regional federal repository in Ohio. You can access federal government
information for free, including congressional records, executive branch
documents, census statistics, house and senate journals, topographical maps, atlases,
and U.S. patents. On the state level, you can
explore rosters of Ohio soldiers from the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and
World War I; Laws of Ohio from 1803; agricultural reports (including history of
Ohio State Fairs); Ohio Supreme Court decisions; and election statistics.

As I explored the 98,000 square feet of history heaven, I found highway maps from 1919, vintage atlases, hundred-year-old New York Times microfiche, and 1916 U.S. soil samples. I also saw old FEMA flood insurance maps and an 1896 U.S. Army guide to drill regulations for light artillery.

Without question, one of the highlights is the Rare Book
Room. It’s lovingly tended by Shannon Kupfer, who’ll be glad to give you a tour if
you make an appointment. Among its 7,000 items are the aforementioned Washington letter and medieval manuscript, the complete works of Martin Luther circa 1539 (in German), and the exquisitely illustrated Birds of America collection.

“So many people don’t know that we even have a State
Library,” said Beverly Cain, State Librarian of Ohio. “It's an
incredible treasure trove.”

The State Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and parking is free. New expanded online resources will be announced on July 1. Sign up for a free library card here.

May 04, 2013

Covert
parking spots. The identity of Vinchen. Jeni’s Salty Caramel recipe. Some Short North secrets are best kept hidden. Dames Bond
Marketplace shouldn’t be one of them (even if its name is inspired by a certain secret agent). The 1,500-square-foot Garden District boutique opened last
October and offers a smashing array of apparel, jewelry, accessories, artwork, candles, body care, and home décor.

But here’s the thing. It only sells items made by
women in our community. The brainchild of Dames Bond founder and CEO Mary
B. Relotto, this place truly is one of a kind.

“The Marketplace gives women an opportunity to
showcase their talent and participate in a retail experience, Mary said. “I did
a lot of research, and there’s nothing like it in Ohio or the
Midwest.”

When it opened, the Marketplace featured 30 vendors. It
now has 43, half of which use Dames Bond as their only brick-and-mortar location. Mary designed and
merchandised the space, and the vendors work on consignment. It also serves as a
small business incubator, offering vendors monthly workshops about trends and marketing.

“This is all about championing women and giving
them an opportunity to create something,” Mary said. “Social norms have stopped
us from being our best selves, and I want to break that.”

April 17, 2013

Elvis Presley
will probably forever be considered the King of Rock and Roll. I mean, the man
has almost 99,000 Twitter followers, and he passed away 29 years before Twitter began. An estimated 85,000 people impersonate him. But after learning about the free Elvis photography exhibit
at Capital University’s Schumacher Gallery, I was skeptical. Rhinestone-studded visions of fist pumps and girdled velvet filled my head. Haven’t we seen all of
Elvis there is to see? I headed to Bexley anyway, and was treated
to a raw glimpse of the man before the pelvis.

Elvis
at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimercontains 56 photographs (most of them
36x48 pigment prints) that were taken during one week in 1956. Wertheimer was
a 26-year-old freelance
photographer from Brooklyn who had never heard of Elvis, and Elvis could still sit alone at a drugstore counter without getting
mobbed. The black-and-white images were shot in close range, and rarely used flash. As evocative as the photos were the anecdotes
pinned alongside them.

“I
guess he felt that someone should be photographing him because one of these
days he was going to be famous,” Wertheimer said. “People asked me later on,
‘What was so different about Elvis?’ I didn’t know at the time, but I would
soon understand that first of all, he made the girls cry and second, he
permitted closeness.”

Elvis was a hopeless flirt and a wicked dazzler — but he was talented and fearless. This show made me realize that, in spite of
all the executives ordering him how to be a star, he defied them and became an icon.

March 19, 2013

When hearing the word “bourbon,” you may think of mahogany
leather sofas, wrap-around front porches, or J.R. Ewing. Dave Rigo of Watershed
Distillery stares at his oak bourbon barrels and ponders something considerably
less nostalgic: his 401(k). Since co-founding Watershed in 2010, his “kinda
crazy idea” of making spirits in Columbus has exploded into an intoxicating
force. With the Kentucky Derby less than two months away, I had bourbon on the brain and toured Watershed to learn more about the process of microdistilling.

“We make vodka and gin to support our
bourbon habit,” Rigo said.

Rigo and his partner Greg Lehman didn’t fall into
microdistilling immediately. The Watershed concept was actually the duo’s 20th
business plan, after being informed by their attorney that their first 19 ideas
“sucked.” After lots of passionate research and some out-of-state
apprenticeships, they got started in a 2,000-square-foot Grandview warehouse.
They recently expanded to 4,700 square feet and now produce up to 5,000 bottles
a month. Their liquor is available in 150 liquor
stores and 500 bars/restaurants in Ohio, as well as a handful of outlets in
Kentucky and New York. They shipped their first order to Chicago this week.

Watershed produces four spirits: Four Peel Gin, Bourbon
Barrel Gin, Vodka, and Bourbon. Gin is their signature item, which has been
referred to as “The Gateway Gin” for its mild disposition. Many microdistillers
use four or five botanicals when making their gin; Watershed uses eight. Rigo
and Lehman also include the lowest possible amount of juniper in their gin
(51%), making it more palatable for those who don’t like drinking Christmas
trees. Watershed’s vodka is Ohio corn based and has been praised for its clean
finish, thanks to the painstaking removal of methanol. As for the beloved bourbon, it’s double distilled and aged for roughly two-and-a-half years using
a thoughtful mix of Ohio corn, wheat, rye, and spelt. Rigo is currently tinkering
with malted barley for a possible new bourbon flavor and enlisted the expertise
of a local molecular biologist to grow a proprietary strain of yeast.

According
to The American Distilling Institute, there will be 400-450 boutique distillers
in the United States and Canada by the end of 2015. Watershed aims to be one of
the best of them. Until then, Rigo will gaze at his wall of 53-gallon bourbon
barrels that won’t be ready until a few more years.

“We’re just sitting and watching our future
in those barrels,” he laughed.

The Cartoon Library was founded in 1977, when Ohio State
alumnus and famed cartoonist Milton Caniff donated his artwork to the
university. It was named after former Columbus Dispatch cartoonist Billy
Ireland, who mentored Caniff. With more than 300,000 original cartoons, 50,000 books, and
2.5 million comic strip clippings, it’s the world’s largest academic research facility dedicated to
printed cartoon art. In addition to editorial cartoons, comic strips, comic
books, graphic novels, sports cartoons, and magazine cartoons, it has one of
the world’s largest collections of Japanese manga.

This summer, the Cartoon Library will move from its
hidden 6,000-square-foot digs behind the Wexner Center for the Arts to a
30,000-square-foot space at Sullivant Hall. The new area will feature three
museum-quality galleries for visiting and permanent collections, and will host
book tour events, cartooning workshops, and live slide show readings of comics.
The Grand Opening Festival is scheduled for November.

“We want 2013-2014 to be the year of comics,” said Caitlin
McGurk, visiting curator of the Cartoon Library (and a cartoonist herself).

There are some amazing exhibits planned for 2014 that
you won’t want to miss. Trust me. In the meantime, an exhibit of A.B. Walker’s
work opens tomorrow. Walker was a popular early 20th century
cartoonist who drew for Life,Harper’s, The Atlantic, The Saturday Evening
Post, Judge, and Collier’s. The exhibit runs through April 26 and will be
followed by a show of Civil War cartoons. In late May, the Cartoon Library will
close for relocation.

The Cartoon Library is free and open to the public, but is a
“closed stack” non-circulating institution. While you can’t browse items, you
may access anything in the collection by completing simple paperwork and
asking staff members for guidance. Researchers from around the globe visit the library to study items in the collection. All artwork is humidity/temperature
controlled and stored in acid-free archival materials.

“Tons of famous cartoonists are from Ohio,” McGurk said. “There’s
no reason that Columbus shouldn’t be the main comic city in America.”

December 02, 2012

Yesterday I made a
(last-minute) decision to hold the Great American Peanut Butter Tasting &
Challenge. You see, the hubs is somewhat of a peanut butter sommelier. He knows
more about PB than the combined workforces of Jif, Skippy, and Peter Pan. If I
got a penny every time he said “Peanut butter is the perfect food,” I’d be
typing this from my villa on Lake Como.

The rules of the Great
Peanut Butter Tasting & Challenge were simple. I asked friends to do a
blind taste testing of five peanut butters and rank them on a scale from 1 to 5
(5 being excellent). The challenge was to identify which of the five was
organic, and which was the most expensive. All peanut butters sampled were
creamy and all-natural, meaning that none of them contained added salt, sugar,
high fructose corn syrup, trans fatty acids, or hydrogenated oils. Two of the
five were Ohio made, and the milk I provided as a palate cleanser
was locally produced from Snowville Creamery. Each peanut butter was
graded on flavor, consistency, oil to butter ratio, aroma, appearance,
peanutality1, and jaunt factor2. There were seven tasters, all of whom received gold star stickers for participating. Here are the
results.

November 19, 2012

Bullying is not an easy subject, but thankfully it has been
getting lots of global attention. You Will Rise Project hosted a student
art exhibit yesterday at Columbus Museum of Art, with pieces by 11 Columbus
students aged 11 to 17 who have been victims of bullying. The multimedia
display was as haunting and raw as it was uplifting. Each student
spent several weeks embracing and releasing their innermost
creative spirits with local artist volunteers. Here are some excerpts from the student bios, taken from the
event program:

“People would attack me with words…I actually tried to
commit suicide. My parents got me help and moved me to a very accepting school.
I discovered art and it helped me get out of that dark place where I thought I
wasn’t good enough.”

“I started getting bullied in the third grade. Then in sixth
grade I started cutting myself. [In] seventh grade I finally tried to commit
suicide…I finally found a healthy way to deal with my pain in art.”

“Art saved me…I was bullied because I am an art kid and I
didn’t fit in at the other schools I went to…I have now begun to discover
myself in my new accepting school that has a zero tolerance for bullying.”

To me, constructive and empowering efforts like these can help save the world. Click
here for more photos.

November 08, 2012

There are hundreds of things to love about Hocking Hills.
One of them is that it’s out of cell phone and Wi-Fi range. You can travel to
cities all over the world and stay plugged in, but an hour southeast of
Columbus there’s no choice but to unwind. We recently hit the hills for three
precious days and left our laptops at home. Yes,
at home. During our stay, we:

Roamed for miles at Cedar Falls and Conkle’s Hollow. Embraced the stillness of Rose Lake. Journeyed through the past at the Logan Antique Mall. Used every chance to gaze at stars. Visited the Pencil Sharpener Museum. Echoed our voices through the walls of Rock House. Nestled by the fire with 40s crime novels. Ate fried bananas and played Scrabble. Talked to horses and laughed at woodpeckers. Enjoyed breathing crisp air. Discovered a Civil War cemetery along a quiet road.

So much can happen when you trade life’s bustle for the
rustling of leaves.

Today
is Spirit Day. It has been reported that up to 77% of students have
been victimized by some form of bullying. If you know any young people who have
been teased, scorned, or belittled, consider reaching out to them. Offer a reminder that it gets better. Bullying is real and it’s ugly, but
love is stronger than hate, and together we can overcome it.

October 12, 2012

We often hear about programs that benefit the
community. Last night at the first annual Short Stop Youth Center Open House, I
experienced one that changes it. Children performed monologues from
The Wizard of Oz, and the youth band performed such numbers as Seven Nation
Army and Somebody That I Used to Know. Mentors spoke passionately about impacting young people’s lives through the arts. The
air hummed with creativity and empowerment.

Short Stop is a free after-school program in the Short North
for kids aged 7-18, offering activities in theater, art, music, dance, homework
help, healthy eating, and drug/alcohol prevention. It’s open Monday to Friday
from 2:30 to 8:00 p.m. There are currently 25 children enrolled at the center,
which receives funding from United Way of Central Ohio and ADAMH, but it can
accommodate more. The group is hosting a free haunted house on October 30.

October 11, 2012

The eighth annual Craftin’ Outlaws alternative craft fair takes place
on Saturday, November 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Gateway Film Center.
Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Modern handmade goods from more than 50 Midwest vendors will be for sale, including clothing, jewelry, paintings, posters, ceramics,
knitted accessories, stuffed animals, soap, stationery, skateboards, and home
décor. Early
Bird Passes (for shopping access from 10:00 to 11:00) can be purchased
online or at the show for $5. Early Bird
shoppers will be invited to participate in an Early Bird Raffle, the proceeds of which benefit Project: Zero
Ohio.

“At Craftin’
Outlaws, you’ll find gifts that you can’t just get at a mall,” said Megan
Green, Craftin’ Outlaws lead organizer and Owner of Stinkybomb Soap. “Each one
tells a handmade story.”

October 04, 2012

Ten years ago this month, I
wrote a story for Discover Ohio Magazine about 10 haunted places in Ohio. These
are the sites I profiled. Have fun, ghost hunters.

Twin City Opera House
(McConnelsville)The stage
floor of the Twin City Opera House (formerly known as The
McConnelsville Opera House) used to have trap doors that led to an underground
dressing room, allowing performers to leave the building unseen. Its tunnels
linked to other places in the village, and were said to have helped conceal
slaves who fled the South during the Civil War. They say one of the building’s ghosts is the spirit of Everitt Miller, who ushered there for more than 30
years. Known for his crisp white suits, he still apparently hovers over
the aisles of his beloved hall. Dozens of people have reported seeing the
“man in white.”

Lafayette Hotel (Marietta)Another
spirit that allegedly still likes to stick around is that of S. Durward Hoag, former
owner of the Lafayette Hotel. Overlooking the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers, the
hotel is said to have a “phantom elevator” that ascends and descends on its
own, a possessed light bulb in the Gun Room restaurant, and
coffee cups with a mind of their own. Several employees admitted having paranormal experiences on the third floor.

Fulton County Historical Museum (Wauseon)The Fulton County Historical Musuem was both a high school and hospital back in the day, and psychics like contacting its young ghost “Little Johnny White.” A past curator said that Johnny once
removed all of the Christmas tree ornaments and lined them up on the
floor, one by one. Several people who grew up in the area claimed to see the
spirit of an elderly woman clad in Victorian garb glaring at them from an
upstairs window. Even though the building doesn’t allow smoking or display
fresh flowers, some visitors have reported pungent smells of fresh bouquets and
pipe tobacco.

Wilson Hall, Ohio University (Athens)Athens has been called the most haunted
place in Ohio. Its surrounding hills are peppered with family
cemeteries, including Simms, Hanning, Cuckler, Higgins, and Zion, which are
said to form a pentagon. According to pagan beliefs, a pentagon
offers a protective force, the center of which is exempt from any paranormal activity.
Wilson Hall in Ohio University’s West Green is supposedly the center of the pentagon.

Hammel House Inn (Waynesville)Built
atop a prehistoric Indian burial ground, Waynesville is “The Antiques Capital
of the Midwest” and host of the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival. But the Hammel House
Inn was more than just a friendly stagecoach stop. As legend has it, the
innkeeper killed a young traveling salesman in 1823 while he slept and
stole gold coins from his saddlebag. The victim’s body is believed to be buried
on site, and some guests have claimed to see a wispy white figure lurking on
the stairway, flicking the basement storeroom lights.

Memorial Hall (Dayton)Memorial Hall is a Civil War monument that once
housed the Dayton Philharmonic. More than 50 years ago, a stagehand fell into the orchestra pit
and died. According to reports, he’s still lingering and has been
linked to tales of cold bursts of air, flushing
toilets, errant spotlights, and flickering stage lights.

Squire’s Castle (Cleveland)A
red light allegedly shines at Squire’s Castle in the North Chagrin Reservation. This
mini castle was built by oil pioneer Feargus B. Squire at the turn of the 20th
century. As the story goes, Squire’s wife developed a nasty bout of insomnia. One
night during a bout of sleeplessness, she suffered a fatal fall on her way to
the basement library. Even though
the basement has been filled in, visitors have claimed to see the spirit of
Squire’s wife gliding through the castle with a scarlet lantern.

Edison Birthplace Museum (Milan)Built in 1841, the Edison Birthplace Museum has caused a few spine shivers for its unexplainable,
unidentifiable noises. Thomas Edison’s father Samuel supposedly believed in ghosts and
held a few séances there. Throughout the years, people have claimed to sense paranormal activity
and hear spooky noises in the house.

Thurber House (Columbus)Eerie noises weren’t considered strange at the Thurber House, where James Thurber grew up. Sounds of empty chairs scraping across the
floor, books falling off shelves, and footsteps running up stairs were common occurrences. In 1912, Thurber reportedly saw the ghost of a previous male tenant who, upon learning of
his wife’s infidelity, ran up the stairs and shot himself. Several families
later moved out of the house to escape the apparition, but Thurber immortalized his
encounter in The Night the Ghost Got In.

October 01, 2012

I used to be afraid of cemeteries. Growing up, I abided
the Honorary Kid Code by holding my breath every time I passed one. Then someone suggested that I tour Green Lawn Cemetery. It took
me five months to warm up to the idea.

On Thursday, I headed west on Greenlawn Avenue through
the grand cemetery gates and landed in a world of legends and splendor that
instantly struck me to the core. I met my tour guide Sandi Latimer, who has
volunteered at Green Lawn for the past decade, and we set off in her car to
meander the enchanted forest.

“This is beautiful. It’s just so beautiful,” I kept
muttering.

Sandi nodded at me knowingly. She’s uncannily passionate about Ohio history, and about the
history of everything in general. Like Green Lawn’s lioness,
she unlocked the mystical secrets of all 360 of its acres, and meticulously
answered my questions. All 97 of them. She is, quite simply, the perfect tour
guide.

Founded in 1848, Green Lawn is Ohio’s second largest
cemetery. It’s laid out like a Victorian rural cemetery, with 3,000 trees (including
four state champions) and endless rolling hills. More than 200 species of birds
have been sighted there, making it a hot birding destination. Basically, Green
Lawn is a big, beautiful park. It has joggers and dog walkers, and it even recently hosted an
eight-year-old’s birthday celebration.

“It’s like all of these amazing people from history are
here together, having a big party,” I blurted.

Now, I can’t tell you why I said that. People buried in a
cemetery having a party? I was so unhinged by the overall sense of majesty and tranquility that it just came out. And that’s when I started to
get star struck. Because among Green Lawn’s 151,000 inhabitants are some very
notable people. Thurber. Neil. Sullivant. Rickenbacker. Dennison. Lazarus. Hubbard.

“Oh my God, is that Lincoln Goodale?” I shrieked as I
jumped out of Sandi’s (still moving) car.

“Yes, it is,” she smiled.

I sprinted to Dr. Goodale’s grave like it was going
somewhere. Oh, the million times I
would thank him for giving us the best park in the world. We ventured
forth to the Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I, and World
War II areas. We stopped by the oldest grave, belonging to Dr. Benjamin Gard,
who died of cholera in 1849 after treating cholera patients at the Ohio
Penitentiary. We visited the popular toy-adorned gravesite of George Blount,
who died in 1873 at the age of five, after sliding down the banister and crashing into his family’s potbellied stove. We marveled at the Tiffany
stained glass windows and mosaic murals inside of Huntington Chapel, which was
built in 1902. I saw the grave of a man who rode with Wyatt Earp’s posse in the
1880’s, and of the woman who co-founded my alma mater in 1898. I learned that
several relatives of prominent people are buried at Green Lawn, like George
Armstrong Custer’s half-brother, Harvey Firestone’s cousin, George W. Bush’s
great grandfather, J.C. Penney’s brother, and Woodrow Wilson’s grandparents. Above
all else, I discovered that cemeteries can be resoundingly full of life.

Green Lawn Cemetery is open seven days a week, from 7:00
a.m. to 7:00 p.m. April through October, and 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. November
through March. It hosts tours, First Saturday programs, and monthly bird walks, and has ongoing volunteer opportunities.

September 04, 2012

When I moved to Columbus 22 years ago, I learned
something key: In the land of Ohio State football, one either bleeds scarlet and
gray or goes home. I found out about this thing called “tailgating,” where people
set up compact parking lot parties and eat toothpicked meatballs out of
contraptions called “crock pots.” I began wearing necklaces fashioned out of poisonous
nuts, and obediently matched every bellowed “O-H!” with an equally boisterous “I-O!” But after
attending the season opening Buckeye game against Miami University (Ohio) on
Saturday, I learned that some of OSU football’s most memorable moments happen between plays.

1. Urban Meyer is a big deal. Like, bigger than Santa Claus, President
Obama, and Lady Gaga combined. I had a hunch this was the case, but when our new coach jogged onto the field for the first time, I thought all 105,039 of us at Ohio Stadium had
enough emotional voltage to power Cedar Point for a year.

2. The raising and lowering of the American flag,
heroically performed by Ohio military personnel, is an unbelievably profound and respectful ceremonial ritual. This was the first time I got to see it up close, and I’ll never forget it.

3. Touchdown push-ups, also executed by local members of
the U.S. Military, are crazy impressive. I can’t even do one push-up, so the
252 they did after we beat the Red Hawks 56-10 blew my freaking mind.

4. The Ohio State Marching Band, a.k.a. The Best Damn
Band In The Land, plays opponents’ fight songs in their honor. At the end of the game, after the crowd left and a few stragglers were hanging on, TBDBITL
marched in formation at the middle of the field and played Miami’s fight song in front of the visiting band. I may have fought back a tear.

5. After home games, spectators can stand by the southeast gates of the stadium to catch a glimpse of star players exiting the building. When I got wind of this, I made the hubs wait with me for an hour so I could see Braxton Miller in person for 8.4 seconds. We also saw more armed servicemen and women, who were chatting with and posing for photographs
alongside top players. OSU Athletics has a program that helps military personnel meet members of the team. We talked to one of them who is being deployed this week and was thrilled to have that experience.

Although Ohio State fans are sometimes nuts1, what happens just off the field can underlie the purest meaning of
sportsmanship.

August 02, 2012

When it comes to birds, I’m what you might call “challenged.” I know that Big Bird is nice, being flipped the bird is not nice, and avoiding bird poop on your head is good. I can’t tell a Blue-Breasted Kingfisher from a Trumpeter Hornbill and I only watched The Big Year because Steve Martin was in it. Yesterday, however, I upped my bird game with a visit to the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. On my way inside, a precocious 10-year-old saw the camera dangling from my neck and mistook me for a birder. “A Yellow Finch is hanging out by the rain garden if you want to photograph it,” he said. “And there’s a snapping turtle inside. Don’t put your hand in the tank though.”

Oh my God, I thought. This kid knows real names of actual birds. What the heck is a finch? And why can’t I pet the turtle?

I played it cool. “Thanks,” I said. “Yeah, I figured there’d be one over there so I’ll just go take a quick shot.”

Naturally, the little yellow maniac scurried to the highest branch when he sensed my oafishness. I thought I heard him chirp “You have to earn this.”

The Audubon Center opened three summers ago. Nestled in Scioto Audubon Metro Park, it’s the first U.S. Audubon Nature Center to be built so close to the heart of a big city. Admission is free, and at least 212 bird species have been sighted there. The building itself is Green Certified and acts as a working model of sustainability and energy efficiency. It contains recycled construction materials, geothermal wells that use the earth’s temperature to provide heating and cooling, low-flow plumbing, walkways and courtyards made of permeable concrete to increase rain recharge, and an angled roof that collects and distributes rainwater. Never have I experienced a place that’s as educational and environmentally conscious as it is peaceful.

I’m coming for you, Little Finchie. One of these days, I’ll catch you off guard and take your picture. Just don’t poop on my head.

July 13, 2012

Alternative ad agency CivitasNow just installed an interactive hanging garden outside of Dinin’ Hall at 400 West Rich in Franklinton. Designed to promote social living and creative urban growing, the “cube garden” features 16 burlap-covered crates filled with tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Visitors are welcome to tend and water the plants — and pluck vegetables from them. Dinin’ Hall opened in May and is the first street food hub in Columbus.

During the last Pecha Kucha Columbus event at Eartha Limited in May, CivitasNow built a warehouse garden installation with 100 veggie containers. The plants were strewn throughout the space in baskets, Campbell’s Soup cans, and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams cartons and given to attendees to take home. CivitasNow also gave away 150 seedlings of sweet basil, cilantro, mint, peas, eggplant, carrots, and beets in White Castle slider boxes.

According to CivitasNow co-founder Jacob Taylor, the goal of these imaginative giveaways is to foster eco-friendly ways of living and working. “We wanted to demonstrate how easy independent food production can be,” he said.

July 12, 2012

The 5th annual Independents’ Day takes place on Saturday, September 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Gay Street and Pearl Alley in downtown Columbus. Presented by Gateway Film Center, this all ages festival celebrates indie culture, commerce, and creativity by offering live music on four stages, artists, crafters, dancers, street performers, restaurants, food trucks/carts, beer tents, and a kids area.

New This YearA free Independents’ Day mobile phone app will launch in August. Other new elements include a dance stage, an Ohio-grown short film festival, a local author fair, a Fashion Collection area with apparel and accessories from local fashion designers, a craft vending machine, a social media corral, and a comedy show.

Vendor ApplicationsThe application deadline for musicians and vendors is August 1. Dancer applications are due on September 1. Click here to apply.

Volunteer OpportunitiesPeople who are interested in volunteering at Independents’ Day can sign up for a shift here.

Each speaker will follow the international Pecha Kucha format of showing 20 images and speaking about each image for 20 seconds. Presenters include Matthew Barnes and Jacob Taylor with CivitasNow, Bear Braumoeller from Slow Food Columbus, Erin Corrigan of Independents’ Day, Kim Crabtree from IM Creative, Connie De Jong with Global Gallery, dance artist Cassia Hinchman, and artist Lisa McLymont. Presenters are subject to change. Pecha Kucha is about sharing passion and creativity. It’s not a forum for sales pitches, commercial presentations, or self-promotional material.

A pop-up art show will be on display, featuring work by Catherine Bell Smith and Helma Groot. Food trucks will sell refreshments, as organized by Food Fort Columbus. THOUGHTco will screen print T-shirts for guests throughout the evening ($5 for shirts brought from home and $12 to buy a new one). Scott Vayo will deejay.

The suggested donation is $2 per person, benefiting Pecha Kucha Columbus. Attendees are encouraged to bring reusable cups (for the water fountain) and lawn chairs. Junctionview Studios is located at 889 Williams Avenue in Grandview. Free parking is available on the street and alongside the building. Click here for a detailed map. Carpooling and bicycling are encouraged.

June 19, 2012

At last weekend’s 31st annual Columbus Pride celebration, the air literally swirled with love. Signs read “God Loves Us All,” “I Support Love,” “Love Makes a Family,” and “Love Never Fails.” Around 230,000 people visited the Short North in honor of diversity and equality. The needle is moving in the right direction, but there’s still work to be done. During Saturday’s parade, I overheard a college student say that his father tried to discourage him from moving to Columbus because it was “too gay,” a woman who said that her parents would never march in a parade to support her being a lesbian, and a man who said that he suffered with severe depression as a teenager. When all of us have true universal acceptance to love whomever we choose, the comfort to live without fear, and equal legal rights — humanity will have taken one of its biggest strides. Click here for more photos.

June 01, 2012

The Short North Civic Association will launch the fourth season of Screen on the Green on July 20 with a screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. This will be the first of three outdoor movie nights held on a 30-foot screen at the softball diamond in the southwest corner of Goodale Park.

All movies begin atsundown and will be preceded by a half hour of classic cartoons. Each film will also feature themed contests and activities that encourage audience participation. Details about these fun interactive elements will be shared two weeks before each screening.

A variety of food trucks and carts will sell refreshments, as organized by Food Fort Columbus. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and flashlights. There are no rain dates.

Screen on the Green is free and open to the public. It’s made possible through organization and major funding by the Short North Civic Association, with additional funding by the Gateway Film Center and ComFest.